Chapter Fourteen: Misunderstood (Julie)

Kyle turned on his heel and rushed out of the hall after Chelsea.
“Chelsea, wait!” he called after her. He spotted a flash of pink out of the corner of his eye and when he caught up to her, she was standing at the fountain outside.
“What's the matter Chelsea, are you alright?” he asked while gently wiping a tear from her cheek.
“I'm f-f-fine,” she sobbed.
“Are you sure? You don’t seem fine,” he persisted.
“Well, Holly! Are you two together now?” she stuttered.
“What? No! Chelsea, Holly is my cousin. She saw me standing on my own while you were in the bathroom, so she asked me to dance with her. She told me she was given strict instructions from my aunt Hilda to give me a big hug and kiss.”
“Oh,” she whispered while trying to compose herself. “It's just that...well...it was as if she was trying to make me jealous.”
“That's just Holly. Don't take her seriously, everything she does is a bit of an act. She can be very sweet sometimes,” Kyle explained, trying his best to reassure Chelsea.
“Maybe to you,” answered Chelsea, who was starting to feel a little ashamed of her jealous outburst.
Kyle sighed and took both of Chelsea's hands.
“I'm sorry,” she said, looking at his handsome face, “I misunderstood.”
“Don't apologise, I'm sorry you felt upset and I'm so sorry about spilling punch all over your beautiful dress.”
Chelsea laughed and showed him that the mark from the fruit punch could hardly be seen.
They sat down on the edge of the fountain, still holding hands, and talked and laughed under the clear and starry night sky. After a little while, they were quiet for a moment and they could hear the muffled beat of the music in the hall. Chelsea suddenly felt nervous as Kyle turned her face towards his, the corners of his mouth turned up into a cheeky smile. He looked into her eyes and tucked a few loose strands of her hair behind her ear. Chelsea's heart skipped a beat when she realised that Kyle was about to kiss her. But all of a sudden the clock tower behind them broke the silence as the clock struck midnight. Within seconds the hall door swung open and everybody shuffled outside, the boys linking arms with the girls ready to escort them back to their hostels.
Kyle and Chelsea stood up quickly and joined the others, both feeling a little awkward after what had almost happened.
There was lots of chattering and laughing amongst the boys and girls as they walked back to Fernwood, and once the Super Six had been wished good night by their partners, the chattering continued down the stairs and into the dorm.
There was a lot for them to talk about, so they put on their pajamas, took off their make-up and then they all climbed onto Annie's bed to discuss every detail of the evening. Annie reached under her bed for her snack box, which was always full of exciting treats, and they all tucked in as they relived the evening at the Ball. There was Suzy's arrival in her beautiful red dress, Ben's good looks without his glasses and Annie's discovery of his great sense of humour. There was also Adam and Calipso's attempt at Latin American dancing, Charlotte and Roxanne's special treatment at the matric table, and of course Chelsea's almost-first-kiss. They giggled non-stop into the early hours of the morning and when they finally climbed into their own beds it took them no time to fall fast asleep. Just before Chelsea closed her eyes, she picked up the rose that Kyle had given her. The soft, sweet petals tickled her nose.
“I know what I'm going to dream about tonight,” she thought to herself, gently laying the rose down on her pillow. Then she turned over and closed her eyes.